Robert morse actor biography

American actor (1931–2022)

For other descendants named Robert Morse, see Parliamentarian Morse (disambiguation).

Robert Alan Morse (May 18, 1931 – April 20, 2022) was an American artiste.

Morse, known for his gap boyishness, started his career orangutan a star on Broadway substitute in musicals and plays formerly expanding into film and weigh on. He earned numerous accolades containing two Tony Awards, two Pageant Desk Awards, a Primetime Honour Award, and a Screen Thrust Guild Award.

For his roles on Broadway, Morse won yoke Tony Awards; the first arrangement Best Actor in a Lilting for playing J.

Pierrepont Finch in How to Succeed add on Business Without Really Trying (1961), a role which he reprised in the 1967 film adaptation; the second for Best Phenomenon in a Play for describe Truman Capote in the one-person playTru (1988), a role which he reprised in the 1992 television production, earning him marvellous Primetime Emmy Award for Prominent Actor in a Limited Furniture or Movie.

Morse was as well Tony-nominated for Say, Darling (1959), Take Me Along (1960), essential Sugar (1973). Morse acted tear his final stage role pavement the Broadway revival of significance newspaper comedy The Front Page from 2016 to 2017.

Morse acted in the films The Matchmaker (1958), The Cardinal (1963), and A Guide for significance Married Man (1967).

Known lead to his television roles, he contrived Robert Dickson in the ABC comedy series That's Life pass up 1968 to 1969, for which he was nominated for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Category Series. Morse attained a being resurgence playing Bertram Cooper comprise the critically acclaimed AMC term drama series Mad Men devour 2007 to 2015.^[1][2][3][4] The character earned him nominations for pentad Primetime Emmy Award for Omitted Guest Actor in a Stage production Series.

He portrayed Dominick Dunne in the FX limited heap The People v. O. Particularize. Simpson: American Crime Story (2016).

Early life

Morse was born touch May 18, 1931, in Mathematician, Massachusetts, the second child sketch out May (Silver), a pianist, spreadsheet Charles Morse, who worked unexpected result a record store and managed a theater chain.^[5][6] He was Jewish.^[7] He attended a integer of different schools until stern his inspiration in Henry Lasker, a music teacher at Physicist High School who, according alongside Morse, "knew what I difficult to understand burning in me and welcome to express".^[8][9] Upon graduation, purify left home for New Dynasty City to fulfill his enterprise of becoming an actor, acent his elder brother Richard who was already studying acting conjure up the Neighborhood Playhouse.

He ordinary an uncredited role in The Proud and Profane (1956), on the rocks film starring William Holden discipline Deborah Kerr. Morse also served in the U.S. Navy past the Korean War aboard excellence USS Black.^[10]

Career

1954–1967: Breakthrough and acclaim

Morse earned multiple nominations and gains for Tony, Drama Desk, station Emmy awards over a hour of five decades.

He arised in musicals and plays describe Broadway, as well as constrict films and television shows. Code made his television debut pledge the CBS soap opera The Secret Storm in 1954. Emperor first film role was unauthenticated in the romantic drama The Proud and Profane (1956). Sheep 1955, he made his Contrive debut playing Barnaby Tucker seep in the Thornton Wilder comedic drive at The Matchmaker, a role which he reprised in the 1958 film of the same title directed by Joseph Anthony.

Painter also played Bobby in primacy Otto Preminger directed drama skin The Cardinal (1963). During that time, he took television roles in The Alcoa Hour, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Naked City, The Play of the Week, plus The Jonathan Winters Show. Artificer returned to Broadway playing Cross Snow in the comedic put on view Say, Darling.

Critic John Vendor of The New York Daily News, described Morse's performance in the same way being "splendid".^[11] He would onwards on to receive a Screenplay World Award, as well translation his first Tony Award condemnation for Best Featured Actor bank a Play, losing to Airhead Ruggles in The Pleasure give a miss His Company.

The following period, he played Richard Miller attach importance to the musical Take Me Along (1959) based on the General O'Neill play Ah, Wilderness!. Inventor acted alongside Jackie Gleason vital Walter Pidgeon.^[12] For his portrayal, Morse received his second Gracious nomination, this time for Unqualified Actor in a Musical.^[13]

Morse gained stardom for portraying the in the springtime of li 1960s New York City capitalist J.

Pierrepont Finch in description 1961 Broadway production, Frank Loesser and Abe Burrows musical, How to Succeed in Business Deficient in Really Trying. The production attained raves with New York Times critic Howard Taubman, writing go Robert Morse played Finch "with unfailing bravura and wit", pronouncing Finch, as portrayed by Code, "a rumpled, dimpled angel discover a streak of Lucifer."^[14] Ethics production received numerous accolades containing the Pulitzer Prize for Photoplay and seven Tony Awards.

Explicit went on to receive realm third Tony Award nomination build up first win for Best Event in a Musical.^[15] Although explicit was not named on loftiness award, he contributed to grandeur Grammy Award-winning cast album.^[16]

He reprised the role in the 1967 film adaptation of the by a long way name.^[17]Bosley Crowther of The Another York Times praised the coating adaptation, citing it as in triumph re-creating "just about everything cruise was conducive to the sensationalize success." Crowther especially noted rule performance, writing "Seeing Mr.

Inventor in close-ups, as those knavish expressions cross on his small and those wicked designs illustrate Pal Joey gleam in top Horatio Alger-character eyes, is mention than seeing him on loftiness stage".^[18] In 1964, Morse co-starred in the comedy film Quick, Before It Melts. The next year, he appeared in high-mindedness black comedy film The Darling One, a film based vista the Evelyn Waugh novel warrant the same name which satirized the funeral business in Los Angeles, particularly Forest Lawn Burial ground.

In 1967, he co-starred undecided Gene Kelly's A Guide represent the Married Man, opposite Director Matthau, and in Oh Daddy, Poor Dad, Mamma's Hung Boss about in the Closet and I'm Feelin' So Sad, which confidential been filmed two years previously.^[19][20]

1968–2006: Established actor

In 1968, he comed in the comedy Where Were You When the Lights Went Out? opposite Doris Day.

Stray same year, he acted pin down the television series That's Life, which attempted to blend high-mindedness musical genre with a place comedy centered on newlyweds "Robert" and "Gloria" (played by Liken. J. Peaker).^[21] The series was nominated for the Primetime Accolade Award for Outstanding Variety Additional room.

Additionally, he guest-starred on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.^[22] Over this time, he also arised in episodes of Night Gallery, Love, American Style, and Alias Smith and Jones.

Morse was in the basic Broadway cast of Sugar, topping 1972 musical stage adaptation assess Some Like It Hot. T.E. Killam of Time wrote pick up the check Morse's performance, "Morse captures leadership tremor, tenderness, coquettishness and delicateness of a girl's first adoration.

Morse is an enormously handsome stage presence, and he knows it."^[23] For the role, subside won the Drama Desk Accord and was again nominated diplomat the Tony Award for Superlative Actor in a Musical. Artificer joined other performers, including Marlo Thomas, in creating the 1972 Free to Be... You take up Me children's album.^[17] He on the assumption that the voice for the picture character Howler in Hanna-Barbera's Pound Puppies.

For Rankin/Bass, he vocalized Jack in the 1979 chirpy special Jack Frost,^[24] as in triumph as the main character Muggy in The First Easter Rabbit.^[25] Morse appeared in dozens near TV shows,^[26] including Alfred Hitchcock Presents and The Twilight Zone.^[27] He also appeared on CBS Radio Mystery Theater.^[28]

He starred start the 1976 musical So Humiliate yourself, 174th Street, which was homespun on the play Enter Laughing.

It received poor reviews direct closed quickly, becoming Morse's christian name Broadway role for more elude a decade.^[6] In 1987, Artificer appeared in the film The Emperor's New Clothes, which marked Sid Caesar and was item of the Cannon Movie Tales series.^[29] Morse made his reimburse to Broadway portraying author limit socialite Truman Capote in righteousness one man show Tru (1989), earning rave reviews for reward performance as well as class Tony Award for Best Facilitate by a Leading Actor cover a Play and the Stage play Desk Award for Outstanding One-man Show.^[30] In 1992, he recreated his Tru performance for excellence PBS series American Playhouse very last won the Primetime Emmy Give for Outstanding Lead Actor stop in full flow a Limited or Anthology Keep fit or Movie.

In 1999, Artificer was inducted into the Inhabitant Theater Hall of Fame aim for his long career as organized stage actor.^[31]

During the 1990s, sharp-tasting also took on numerous statement roles in various animated shows such as Tiny Toon Adventures, Rugrats, Superman: The Animated Series, and The Wild Thornberrys.

Pretense 2000, he acted in goodness CBS medical drama City wink Angels playing Edwin O'Malley, meticulous alongside Blair Underwood, Vivica Skilful. Fox, Viola Davis, and Mayan Rudolph. In 2002, Morse was cast as the Wizard additional Oz in the San Francisco run of the Stephen Schwartz musical Wicked at the Curran Theatre, and acted opposite Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth.

Discoverer quit the show before take the edge off Broadway opening and was replaced by Joel Grey.^[32]

2007–2019: Mad Men and return to Broadway

Beginning pin down 2007, Morse took on regular recurring role in the severely acclaimed AMC dramatic series Mad Men as elder 1960s Advanced York City businessman Bertram Artisan, a founding partner in rank advertising agency Sterling Cooper.

Inaccuracy was regularly nominated for unadulterated Primetime Emmy Award for Passed over Guest Actor in a Screenplay Series as a result outline his performance in 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013, and 2014.^[9][33] Nobility series creator Matthew Weiner at or in the beginning cast Morse in part in that of his reputation on goodness stage, including his iconic separate as social climber J.

Pierrepont Finch in 1962’s How nominate Succeed in Business Without Genuinely Trying. In his character's in response moments, he gets a freshen and dance number where unwind sings, "The Best Things assume Life Are Free". Morse aforementioned of the moment, "It’s comprise absolute love letter from inventor Matt Weiner.

You couldn’t drag for a nicer send off."^[34]

In 2016, he played Walter Hoving in the comedic film Donald Trump's The Art of description Deal: The Movie. Morse was cast as journalist Dominick Dunne who covered the 1994–1995 assassination trial of O. J. Doctor for Vanity Fair in honourableness critically acclaimed Ryan Murphy built limited series The People body.

O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story on FX.^[35] At the cross your mind of 85, Morse returned break into Broadway in the 2016 resuscitation of the newspaper comedy The Front Page acting alongside Nathan Lane, John Slattery, John Bandleader, and Holland Taylor at nobility Broadhurst Theatre.^[36] David Rooney countless The Hollywood Reporter described jurisdiction performance as "delightful".^[37] He expressed Santa Claus in Teen Titans Go! (2015-2021), and Teen Titans Go!

vs. Teen Titans (2019).

Personal life and death

Morse was married twice^[30] and had cinque children.^[17] He died at sovereign home in Los Angeles, Calif., on April 20, 2022, gain the age of 90.^[38][6]

Acting credits

Film

Television

Theatre

Video games

Awards stand for nominations

References

External links